Shari Fraser: the new face of feminism

West Island resident Shari Fraser is a consummate example of such a volunteer. Just 26, a 2006 McGill graduate with a B.A. in Geography and Environment, Fraser acquired the taste for the volunteer life at a far younger age, from another woman; her mom, “who has been volunteering with organizations as long as I can remember. She was also volunteering when my brother and I were children playing sports, one of the many soccer moms and dads you always hear about.”

When Fraser was still a child, aged 7 or 8, she started fundraising on behalf of her various teams (soccer has perennially been her sporting passion), bringing donations in for the Red Cross, UNICEF, Terry Fox and such. “I’d run around to people all time, including door-to-door, soliciting funds in exchange for chocolates and other goodies.”

Schools were very different back then. High schools had not yet discovered that volunteering was an important way for teens to learn that the world should be a more selfless place and did not include the related charity-benefiting hours within their curricula. “But when I was in high school, we did informal volunteer work on behalf of our sports teams, helping out at open houses or at talent shows,” Fraser said. “It may not be organized volunteering per se, but if you are giving up your time on behalf of a group or a cause, all of that counts. You could be devoting that time to yourself instead.”

So, with that base to guide her, the affable, dynamic Fraser has honed her volunteering into a craft as a remarkable young woman. Last year, she became involved with the new Volunteer West Island (VWI) Youth in Action program, started with Nelligan MNA Yolande James. Three high schools – Pierrefonds Comprehensive, Riverdale and Ecoles St. Georges – with a total of 26 students participating, each student giving 25 hours of their time to their schools or communities. This work was then critiqued, giving the students an idea of their strengths and also what they needed to improve upon. “Some organizations may feel that students (or younger, inexperienced individuals in general) cannot accomplish as much as adults, but if you give them a chance, and provide the right structure, you might find you will get back far more than you expect.”

From May – December 2007, Fraser took her act on the road. “I became involved with Canada World Youth, a cultural exchange program where you spend three months in your host country – I was in Matane, Quebec – and then three months abroad. I went to Kolokani, Mali, in West Africa. “I worked on an organic farm in Matane, and in West Africa I helped out at city hall, assisted with social services, helped with a revitalization of the downtown core, and volunteered with an NGO that built schools and health facilities in tiny villages.”

Upon her return, Fraser spent a year assisting students in a study and homework program located in Little Burgundy, Tyndale St. George’s Community Centre.

Just a “run-of-the-mill” life for a young woman who can’t seem to do enough for others. @Ri>You can reach Shari by email at Volunteer West Island, rec@volunteerwestisland.org.<@$p>